Belgian workers against austerity and for social justice

Today, on 13^th of January 2025, Belgian trade unions demonstrate in Brussels against austerity measures.

The 9th of June 2024 was not only about European elections for Belgians; federal and regional elections were also held. As of mid-November, two regional governments have been formed, for the Region of Wallonia and the Region of Flanders. Negotiations for the Brussels Region and the federal government are still ongoing at the time of writing.

As labour law and social security are federal competencies, the federal government wields the greatest influence over workers. Several federal coalitions are possible, but negotiations are being conducted by Flemish-nationalists, French-speaking liberals, both Flemish and French-speaking centrists, and Flemish socialists. They could potentially form a coalition resembling the colours of the US state of Arizona: blue for liberals, red for socialists, orange for Christian Democrats, and yellow for the Flemish nationalist conservatives of the N-VA.

As Belgium is included in the excessive debt procedure, the central discussion revolves around how to rectify the budget in the coming years, influenced by the European procedure. Severe liberal reforms have been proposed, threatening to erase decades of social progress. The current stage of negotiations remains very unclear, but interventions are anticipated in the form of tax reform, pension reform, and labour market reform. While there are possibilities, albeit uncertain, that tax reform might bolster lower and median household incomes, it is evident that contributions from higher incomes or non-labour incomes will continue to be limited.

Meanwhile, pension reform—if implemented as suggested in draft papers by the negotiators—will diminish access to minimum pensions by introducing additional barriers, particularly for women working part-time or those with incomplete careers. It would also significantly reduce pension benefits for public servants, resulting in a regression to the lowest common denominator instead of uplifting all pensions.

The proposed labour market reforms are particularly problematic, containing a range of measures intended to diminish protections for workers and their representatives, increase flexibility for employers at the expense of workers, phase out end-of-career measures, and tighten wage pressures by loosening the index system, among others. If enacted, these reforms would circumvent social partners and their roles in the Belgian system, catering directly to employers. Additional measures might include increased hostility towards migration and restrictions on access to services for asylum seekers. Further cuts are expected in public services and various social security protections.

On the 13th of December 2024, the Belgian trade unions held their first day of mobilisation, focusing heavily on social justice and taxation. Given the context and the considerable support for the mobilisation, further action days have been scheduled for the 13th of January and February. Following these events, an evaluation will be conducted by the Belgian trade unions, and other means of mobilisation and action may be determined.

Today, a joint national trade union action day against austerity measures is taking place, emphasising decent pensions in both the public and private sectors, accompanied by a march in Brussels. “Arizona’s plans are a frontal attack on workers’ pensions and an unprecedented setback for the public service. Everyone has the right to a decent pension. Workers risk paying the bill! Higher pensions are necessary; they are currently among the lowest in Europe! We demand good working conditions throughout a career, shorter careers in the case of arduous work, employer social security contributions that are equitable, and an end to unconditional gifts to companies. There must be space for genuine social dialogue, for decent pensions, and for a fairer society!” states the leaflet distributed by the Belgian unions for workers across the country.

Austerity 2.0 cannot be an option! In this regard, the reasons uniting Belgian workers and citizens in 2025 are the very same as those elsewhere in Europe. In the words of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), Europe’s largest social organisation, to which the Belgian trade unions are affiliated along with 90 other organisations: “It is not the time for governments to be defeatist; we need a project of hope that rejects austerity in all its forms and builds a Europe that we can be proud to leave to future generations.”